


Distracted

by Denebola_Leo



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: But he's stuck with all of these happy people, Denial of Feelings, Even though they're about to go after a sorceress, F/M, Flirting, Humor, Squall is just trying to be a good leader, Teen Crush, Unintentional snark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 02:37:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15257565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denebola_Leo/pseuds/Denebola_Leo
Summary: With Seifer officially dead and a new order from Balamb and Galbadia Gardens to assassinate the sorceress, Squall's mind is slowly being distracted more and more by a certain client and a troublesome sharpshooter.





	Distracted

Anxiously, Squall read over the new orders given to him by the headmaster of Galbadia Garden, Martine. The man had just about disappeared into the confines of his car, the vehicle ready to make its way towards the gates of the most militaristic of the Gardens, a school more dedicated to raising quality soldiers than SeeDs such as Squall himself. It wasn't that students here couldn't transfer to Balamb to become a part of the special mercenary force, but that most seemed content with the possibility of a steady job in the expanding Galbadian military.

"BANG!"

The shout startled Squall, a deeper frown appearing on his face as he looked up at the newest member of his team, introduced minutes ago. Irvine Kinneas. The tall sniper seemed cocky in his mannerisms already, but also strangely familiar, as if he was someone Squall knew, someone he _should_ know. He squinted at the cowboy, as much out of annoyance as out of an attempt to remember where he had seen him before. As Martine's vehicle disappeared into the distance, the others slowly made their way towards Squall from their various positions, anxious yet excited. Even Rinoa, his client, seemed deeply interested in the turn of events despite it delaying the job she hired them for. She looked up at Squall as she gently bit her lip, her dark brown eyes giving him that tranquility he craved...Just a distraction.

He wasn't very pleased about having her with them for this mission. It would be extremely dangerous and would require the utmost discipline to carry out successfully. Rinoa was the farthest thing from disciplined, making plans on a whim and prone to outbursts of brattiness when circumstances didn't favor her. To Squall, she was a liability to his group and a distraction to him. But why? Why did she distract him so? Ever since that damned graduation party, no matter how much they argued, he easily lost himself in those eyes that soothed him somehow.

He didn't like it at all.

"Looks like I'm with you rubes from Balamb," Irvine drawled. "Greetings." He gave a mocking bow, his cowboy hat taken from his chestnut hair. He replaced it at the end of his introduction, a smirk dancing on his lips. Zell's face flushed and he clenched his fists, becoming enraged at the sardonic greetings by the newest member of the party. Squall pinched his nose in frustration; this was a conflict he didn't need right now.

_'Zell...Why do you always have to overreact to everything?'_

"You cool with me helping you?" Irvine asked Squall, looking towards him with a more sincere smile.

Squall kept his unfriendly, typical frown despite the attempt at disarming him. "That depends on your attitude." He put his free hand on his hip.

Irvine chuckled while gently waving his hands in front of his chest. "I say things that get a rise out of some people. Just don't let it bother you and we'll get along fine."

 _'I shouldn't put him together with Zell...'_ Squall inwardly grimaced, one of his eyes twitching slightly at the thought. Just what he needed, a Seifer-lite. "I'll remember that," he deadpanned. Around him his party came ever closer, interested in the new mission. He looked at them all as stoically as he could as they each chirped their questions at him.

"So tell us the new orders!" Zell said much too loudly, expelling some of his anger through his mouth.

"What kind of orders did we get?" Rinoa's hands were in excited fists gently shaking near her chest.

"What's our mission?" Quistis asked stoically.

"What's our next mission?" Selphie's green eyes gleamed with the hope for a mission involving explosives.

Squall cleared his throat and his mind, preparing to disclose what was on the paper Martine handed him. "Our next mission..." He paused a moment, rereading to make sure there wasn't a mistake. He sighed and looked up at everyone. "This is no ordinary mission. It's a direct order from both Balamb and Galbadia Garden. We're to..." He blinked and swallowed, betraying the stoic persona he put forward. " ...assassinate the sorceress." He paused, allowing time for his words to sink in. A few gasped. "We're to shoot her from afar." He continued after pointing towards Irvine, Squall's cool shell reappearing on his face. "Kinneas will be our sharpshooter. We're to support Kinneas to our fullest. Should the sniper fail, we are to attack head on."

The sniper chuckled, hands grasping either side of his long overcoat. "Thanks for the support, but I never miss my target." He gave them all a cocky smile and a wink, an almost knowing twinkle in his eyes.

Squall wasn't particularly interested in playing this game. "Eliminate the sorceress. That's our order. We're going to head to the capital of Galbadia, Deling City. There, we'll meet up with General Caraway to go over the details of the plan. Let's get going." A nearly inaudible grumble met his ear; turning, he saw Rinoa kicking at the pavement, her nose wrinkled up in disgust. Squall raised a brow. _'What's she upset about now?'_ She noticed his stare, her large almond eyes making contact with his stormy blue ones. Rinoa gave him a quick smile, as if wordlessly saying she was okay.

"Well then... We'll need to choose a party for the trip to Deling City," Irvine drawled, looking over the group. Squall had to peel himself away from Rinoa's doe-like eyes and back towards Irvine. Zell had already turned away, shaking his hand vigorously in front of the cowboy. Irvine passed him by with a smile, completely ignoring him and bee-lining for Selphie, the girl giving a coy smile to the newcomer.

To Squall's disappointment(despite his mental denial of such a feeling), he chose Rinoa next, the girl turning around and looking at him with a frown. Squall tensed a bit while chewing the inside of his cheek, unsure if he should reconsider the new party. Then again, he mused to himself, he'd be less distracted by the girl if she's with Irvine. Would she be safe with him and Selphie? They're well trained, she should be perfectly safe without him by her side, right? Squall needed some time to clear his mind, after all. Rinoa's carefree personality, that arguing that irritated him, but also that smile that tugged at something in his chest...He needed her at a distance for a while, before he lost his mind.

"How's this?" the gunslinger asked, his voice dripping honey. Squall wanted to vomit.

He raised his hand dismissively. _'Yeah, whatever...'_ He looked at the girls and shrugged. "Have a good time." That could have come out better he thought. He mentally kicked himself for the tone of voice he used.

Rinoa's eyes narrowed and a pouty lip formed while her delicate eyebrows came together, casting daggers Squall's way. Selphie hopped while holding onto Irvine's arm, her face conveying anger, but her eyes betraying something else entirely. "Are you being sarcastic!?" Selphie yelled at Squall. His straight face and wide eyes at the accusation fueled the spunky girl. "You are, aren't you!" She smashed herself into Irvine's arm, to his absolute delight. "Well, fine then! We WILL have a good time!"

A smirk formed on Rinoa's face, her eyes glinting something evil, and Squall swore someone had cast a Firaga on him. "We understand _very_ well." She turned away from him and latched onto Irvine's other arm, smiling sweetly at the cowboy. "Come on, Mr. Kinneas, let's go!" she said playfully, that same voice from the dance...They began to slowly walk towards the train station.

Squall swallowed heavily, a feeling of emptiness and longing forming in his chest. It wasn't supposed to be like this. _'...H-hey.'_ He clenched his fists.

Irvine chuckled as he looked at Rinoa, and he gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "Call me Irvine." He looked back at Selphie, her emerald eyes sparkling at him from the afternoon sun. "I'm a pretty lucky guy. Hand in hand with two beautiful girls!" Selphie grasped his arm tight, bouncing happily towards the horizon with him.

"Irvy Kinnepooo! I'll make you _very_ happy!" she cooed to the sharpshooter.

Sullen, Squall watched as they made their way towards the vast wilderness of Galbadia, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and his mouth dry as sand. _'Did I say something terrible? Women...I don't understand them.'_ He didn't understand himself at the moment, either. What were these useless feelings for, anyway? Maybe they would leave him alone after a while. Something in the back of his mind told him they wouldn't, and he grimaced.

Quistis held her hand to her mouth in mock illness. "I think I feel sick..."

Zell stood defiant on the side of the pavement, his hands clenched at either side and his face still pink from the daring sniper's remarks. "Irvine Kinneas...Loser...!" he yelled, the action provoking nothing if Irvine even heard it.

Quistis leaned on Squall, grabbing his arm with a shy but cheeky smile on her lips. "Come on, Squall. Let's go!" she said playfully, her smile growing larger as he sighed heavily.

 _'...H-Hey.'_ That wasn't helping at all. What the hell was wrong with him all of a sudden? He didn't need other people, Squall mused. Least of all some bratty girl suffering from idealism.

Zell snapped him out of his inner thoughts with his loud voice. "Squall, let's get going! We have to get there before they do!" He started jogging in place, warming up his legs. Quistis still held on to his arm, a gentle chuckle on her lips. Squall face palmed at his situation, a situation he put himself into moments ago.

 _'Grow up!'_ Squall screamed it in his mind towards his comrades, but most of all towards his own, emotion addled self.


End file.
